SS William Tilghman

SS William Tilghman was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after William Tilghman, the Chief United States circuit judge of the United States Circuit Court for the Third Circuit and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

History
United States
Name	William Tilghman
Namesake	William Tilghman
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	A.H. Bull & Co., Inc.
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 59
Awarded	14 March 1941
Builder	Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland
Cost	$1,081,434
Yard number	2046
Way number	13
Laid down	20 June 1942
Launched	7 August 1942
Sponsored by	Mrs. F.G. Emerson
Completed	18 August 1942
Identification	Call sign: KGIZ
Fate	Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, Texas, 26 May 1950 Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, Washington, 6 June 1952 Sold for scrapping, 10 July 1970, withdrawn from fleet, 3 August 1970
General characteristics
Class and type	Liberty ship type EC2-S-C1, standard
Tonnage	10,865 LT DWT 7,176 GRT
Displacement	3,380 long tons (3,434 t) (light) 14,245 long tons (14,474 t) (max)
Length	441 feet 6 inches (135 m) oa 416 feet (127 m) pp 427 feet (130 m) lwl
Beam	57 feet (17 m)
Draft	27 ft 9.25 in (8.4646 m)
Installed power	2 × Oil fired 450 °F (232 °C) boilers, operating at 220 psi (1,500 kPa) 2,500 hp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion	1 × triple-expansion steam engine,  (manufactured by General Machinery Corp., Hamilton, Ohio) 1 × screw propeller
Speed	11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity	562,608 cubic feet (15,931 m3) (grain) 499,573 cubic feet (14,146 m3) (bale)
Complement	38–62 USMM 21–40 USNAG
Armament	Varied by ship Bow-mounted 3-inch (76 mm)/50-caliber gun Stern-mounted 4-inch (102 mm)/50-caliber gun 2–8 × single 20-millimeter (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons and/or, 2–8 × 37-millimeter (1.46 in) M1 AA guns

Construction

William Tilghman was laid down on 20 June 1942, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCE hull 59, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland; she was sponsored by Mrs. F.G. Emerson, the wife of the general manager for Weyerhaeuser Timber Co., in Baltimore, and was launched on 7 August 1942.

History

William Tilghman was allocated to A.H. Bull & Co., Inc., on 18 August 1942. On 26 May 1950, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, Texas. On 6 June 1952, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, Washington. On 15 April 1954, William Tilghman was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain under the "Grain Program 1954", she returned loaded on 5 May 1954. On 7 November 1956, she was withdrawn to be unload, she returned on empty 14 November 1956. She was sold for scrapping on 10 July 1970, to Zidell Explorations, Inc., along with two other ships, for $132,911.08. William Tilghman was withdrawn from the fleet on 3 August 1970.

Bibliography

• "Bethlehem-Fairfield, Baltimore MD". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
• Maritime Administration. "William Tilghman". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
• "SS William Tilghman". Retrieved 3 March 2020.